Venus Williams falls at first hurdle in Cincinnati

AFP | Cincinnati

Email : editor@newsofbahrain.com

Venus Williams rallied from 4-1 down in the first set but could not maintain momentum, the seven-time Grand Slam champion falling 6-4, 6-4 to Jessica Bouzas Maneiro in the first round of the ATP-WTA Cincinnati Open on Thursday.

Williams, 45, was competing for the second time in three weeks after returning to the WTA tour in Washington in her first tournament in 16 months. Williams won her first-round match in Washington before bowing out to Magdalena Frech in straight sets.

“I had so much fun out there, and there were definitely moments where I had a lot of chances,” Williams said. “I thought she played super well. I have to definitely give her a lot of credit.

“It’s hard for me to be upset,” Williams added. “I know that I lost this match because I just, I need more matches.

“I could have played better. But the thing I feel good about is that I did go for it.

It’s not that I didn’t know what to do. It’s just that I need to keep working on it.” Bouzas Maneiro, ranked 51st, was thrilled by the sense of occasion on the opening day of the tournament, the last major tuneup prior to the August 25 start of the US Open.

“It was not easy at all,” the Spaniard said of taking on Williams. “She’s a legend, it was a privilege to play against her.” Bouzas Maneiro said her 87-minute win was “like a dream”